456: Precarious

What was she hoping for?

Hoping this ill-timed embrace would last a little longer, hoping those wandering fingertips would stop tormenting her, hoping to cast aside those damned dossiers, or perhaps hoping she would be even more outrageous.

As the thought flashed by, Ling Qi's heart trembled slightly.

Then came a flush of shame at being seen through, and a hint of a devil-may-care impulse.

Why was it always her who passively endured?

Why could Her Majesty tease with such ease, while she had to painstakingly maintain this precarious decorum?

The hall was so quiet that only their intertwined breaths remained, one steady and smiling, the other chaotic.

Shang Wan Ning was waiting with keen interest for her Secretary-General's next reaction.

Would she continue to put on a brave front, or would she soften and beg for mercy?

She guessed it would be the former; she knew AQi's resilience best.

However, the next instant, the wrist tightly clasped in her palm suddenly exerted force, not to break free, but to twist, taking the initiative!

The grip wasn't heavy, but it carried a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve.

Shang Wan Ning was slightly stunned, before she could react to this sudden defiance, the body that had been taut like a bowstring in front of her suddenly turned around.

Ling Qi's movement was a little too quick, knocking a jade slip from the edge of the desk, which fell to the floor tiles with a soft 'thud'.

The last bit of distance between them vanished completely.

Shang Wan Ning met a pair of eyes.

Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, the eyes were usually clear and serene, but now they were veiled with a misty sheen, the corners tinged with a faint red; inside, a rare indignation surged, along with a desperate resolve, as if pushed into a corner, to simply reveal her 'fox claws'.

"Your Majes—"

The word 'ty' couldn't escape.

Ling Qi directly stood on tiptoe, one hand still loosely clasped by Shang Wan Ning, while the other suddenly clutched the lapel of the Empress's dark Xuan-colored casual robes and yanked her closer!

Warm, panting lips pressed heavily against hers, not the usual gentle probing, but an almost fierce plunder.

Shang Wan Ning's pupils contracted slightly, feeling the distinct pressure and heat on her lips, and the faint pain of teeth clashing.

She instinctively wanted to retreat, but her lower back was against the desk, leaving her no way out.

Ling Qi kissed without any technique, driven purely by a surge of emotion, even lightly biting the Empress's lower lip.

The faint sting made Shang Wan Ning 'hiss' and gasp.

This pain seemed to bring Ling Qi to her senses for a moment, and her movements paused. Their lips and teeth were mere millimeters apart, their breaths completely mingled.

Ling Qi's chest heaved violently, her knuckles white from clutching the lapel, her eyes behind the lenses staring intently at Shang Wan Ning, the moisture in them growing more intense, her shame and anger almost overflowing.

She spoke, panting, "Yes."

"Your Subordinate truly desires it."

"If Your Majesty wishes to reduce some of my work, going to the couch now is not out of the question!"

The words were thrown out, and the air froze.

Shang Wan Ning blinked, the bitten spot on her lip still tingling faintly.

Looking at Ling Qi, who had shed all her elite competence, leaving only raw desire and a 'mutual destruction' aura, with that 'if you dare, I'll comply' posture... the malicious amusement in her heart suddenly withered.

Reduce work?

Go to the couch now?

This deal looked like a loss no matter how she viewed it.

Intimacy was tempting, but after it, official duties would remain, not a single jade slip to be processed would be missing, and perhaps this serious Secretary-General would find a way to make up for it elsewhere.

As much as she had enjoyed the teasing just now, the thought of potentially facing double the 'work repayment' made Shang Wan Ning's scalp tingle.

[Oh no! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ]

She had messed up; the current AQi was not to be trifled with, nor could she afford to provoke her.

She awkwardly released the paw that had been holding Ling Qi's wrist, and her other hand uncomfortably touched her possibly swollen lower lip, her gaze beginning to wander.

"Ahem..."

The Empress cleared her throat, trying to regain some authority.

"That... I suddenly remembered, the monitoring report regarding the recent spiritual energy tides in the Nether Sea Region, it seems it's time to re-verify it."

Ling Qi didn't let go, still clutching her lapel, looking up and staring intently at her.

The meaning in her eyes was clear: 'Spin, keep spinning'.

Shang Wan Ning felt even more guilty, her back no longer straight. "Official duties are important, AQi, you go ahead and be busy, I... I will be right back." She reached out to pull Ling Qi's fingers away, her actions full of urgency to escape.

Ling Qi stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly let go.

The force was released so abruptly that Shang Wan Ning, who was still pulling, stumbled.

"Your Majesty, please do." Ling Qi turned around, her back to her.

She raised a hand to adjust her slightly crooked glasses, her voice having mostly returned to its usual steady tone, though a slight hoarseness betrayed the intensity of the moment.

"Your Subordinate will process these dossiers as quickly as possible."

Shang Wan Ning felt as if she had been granted a great pardon, not bothering to straighten her wrinkled lapel, she vanished in a flash, almost fleeing in panic.

Pale golden spatial ripples shimmered twice where she had stood, then quickly settled.

The main hall of Jiaotai Palace became quiet once more, leaving only the cold light on the floor and the mountain of jade slips piled on the desk.

Ling Qi stood still for a long time, then gently touched her lips. The sensation of touch and biting, and the other person's orange-scented body fragrance, still lingered there.

The heat on her face slowly receded, and her heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

She bent down, picked up the fallen jade slip from the floor, wiped away non-existent dust with her sleeve, and placed it neatly back on the desk.

Then she sat back behind the desk and picked up her vermilion brush again.

The gold-rimmed glasses chain hung by her neck, swaying slightly.

However, as she began to write notes, a shallow dimple quickly appeared on her serene profile, then vanished in an instant... The Nether Sea Region, starkly different from the gloom of the Underworld River.

In the center of the sea region, several palaces, constructed from luminous white shells and colorful coral, were half-submerged in the water. Mist swirled, and the faint sounds of flutes and strings drifted by, languid and enchanting.

This was the new 'Healing Zone' specially established by the Underworld.

Managed by a team of elf maidens skilled in wood-element magic, it specialized in providing services to soothe divine souls and regulate spiritual bodies for Yin Gods or meritorious Ghost Messengers.

Shang Wan Ning stepped barefoot onto the coral path.

A cool, damp sensation came from beneath her feet, and fine sand brushed against her skin, soft and yielding.

Glowing seaweed floated in the water, with luminous green and faint purple spots swaying with the waves, making the area appear somewhat hazy.

"Your Majesty?"

Someone spoke from ahead.

An elf in a water-green dress emerged from the mist, a white shell tucked into her hair, her ears pointed, her eyes pale jade.

She held a jade tray containing spiritual fruits and crystal dew.

Seeing Shang Wan Ning, she paused, then smiled and bowed, "Why do you have time to come today?"

"Secretary-General Ling Qi sent a message a few days ago, saying you had many official duties..."

"I'm done with them." Shang Wan Ning replied quickly.

"I came to rest for a bit."

The elf was Linore, the small team leader managing this healing zone.

Hearing Shang Wan Ning, she didn't ask further, stepping aside to lead the way, "Then Your Majesty arrived at a good time. We've just introduced a few new treatments and were wondering who would try them."

The two turned into the largest shell palace.

It was warmer inside than out, with thick, warm jade paving the floor, which felt pleasantly warm under bare feet.

The walls were inlaid with luminous pearls, providing soft light. A shallow pool was dug in the center, with hot water floating with petals and herbs.